South Staffs College removes Savile portrait and hands curatorship to Daily Mail

South Staffordshire College has confirmed today that artistic control of the Art & Design course is to be taken over by the editor of the Daily Mail.

It follows the removal from a Lichfield campus exhibition of a controversial portrait of Jimmy Savile, dressed as a knight in shining armour, after an outraged article about it appeared the Mail earlier this week.

College principal Graham Morley explained: ‘We had no alternative but to bow to their wisdom and sense of moral outrage, and also to the artistic criticism levelled at the exhibit by our cleaning lady. Concerns had also been raised by a canteen assistant who refused to even view the work.’

The cleaner, Hannah Mattison, is amazed at the response: ‘I first saw it when I was cleaning an art room, I mentioned it to a friend and before I knew where I was it appears that I’d given a rather articulate quote to the Mail. I don’t remember a thing about it, but I must have done or they wouldn’t have printed it, would they.’

‘They’ve even offered me a spread in Saturday’s edition sporting some Kelly Brook underwear,’ the 24 year old added.